Honestly, Jiangyx Jiang didn't like Cheng Yu.

As Class 3's monitor, she always saw him as a thorn in the side.

Since childhood, she'd been bursting with responsibility. College hadn't changed that. After being elected monitor, she dreamed of building a better class together.

And Cheng Yu? He was her biggest headache.

Not because he was awful—he was nearly invisible. He showed zero enthusiasm for anything. He skipped group activities with weird excuses, always mysterious.

This wasn't what Jiangyx Jiang wanted.

After the class photo, everyone planned a group dinner. But when they turned around, Cheng Yu had vanished again.

A class dinner missing someone? Impossible. Jiangyx Jiang's face darkened. Without a word, she went to find him.

Just as she disliked him, Cheng Yu found this overzealous monitor incredibly annoying.

Hearing her reason for tracking him down, he thought it was utterly ridiculous.

Class dinner? Group activities? He wanted to rush back to his dorm to be a Warrior of Light or defend in Apex Legends! Couldn't they just eat without him?

Besides, what if a cleaver incident popped up mid-meal? Could she guarantee his safety?

Cheng Yu glared at Jiangyx Jiang, reluctance plain on his face. He was about to make an excuse when she cut in, warning:

"Don't run. This counts toward your performance grade. Fail it, and the homeroom teacher will call you in. You'll be criticized in front of everyone."

Holy crap. Are you ten years old?

Cheng Yu didn't fear her threat, but her tone rubbed him raw.

Whatever. Better to avoid trouble. If she fixated on him now, who knew what chaos would follow?

He rolled his eyes inwardly and snapped:

"Fine, fine, I'll go! I'm going! What are you doing?!"

"Less talk! If I don't grab you, you'll vanish again. Follow me!"

Cheng Yu stared dumbfounded as Jiangyx Jiang seized his wrist and yanked him toward the school gate.

They pushed through the surging crowd. Golden sunlight filtered through Forest University's dense canopy, bathing them evenly.

Passersby spotted their clasped hands and giggled behind cupped palms. Their whispers carried to Cheng Yu:

"Ah... youth is sweet. Awkward young love is the best."

"Yeah, my college romance started just like that."

Cheng Yu felt his reputation crumbling. Amused and exasperated, he sensed that familiar pull. Options flashed before his eyes:

[Facing the crowd's gossip, your choice is:]

[Option A: Shout "Yes, we're dating!" Reward: Two VIP tickets to Jay Chou's concert]

[Option B: Yank free from Jiangyx Jiang now. Reward: One OMEN by HP laptop]

[Option C: Pretend you heard nothing. Reward: One pair of Hongxing Erke sneakers]

[Option D: Shout "Who'd date this stupid, barbaric, willful, unthoughtful, unkind, ungentle dumb girl!" Reward: One random attribute point]

Cheng Yu didn't hesitate. He bellowed at the crowd:

"Who'd date this stupid, barbaric, willful, unthoughtful, unkind, ungentle dumb girl!!!"

Hmm? Too many adjectives? Whatever. Saying it felt amazing.

This was his most satisfying choice ever. He sighed deeply, utterly refreshed.

But Jiangyx Jiang, walking ahead, froze.

She turned, wearing a terrifyingly "kind" smile.

"Cheng. Yu!"

Her fist slammed into his forehead.

...

"Yo, Bro Cheng, slick new look."

Zhou Weihua—Cheng Yu's classmate and roommate—teased the red mark on his forehead. Cheng Yu scowled, holding his head. "Piss off."

This crazy woman...

He rubbed his throbbing forehead and shot Jiangyx Jiang a glare.

She chatted and laughed with girls. Catching his look, she didn't flinch. She rolled her eyes back defiantly.

First a cleaver-wielding girl. Now this meddlesome monitor.

In all of Forest University, weren't there any normal girls?

Cheng Yu sighed. Zhou Weihua, wine glass in hand, slung an arm over his shoulder and winked:

"What's eating you? So gloomy."

"Women are hassle. Men are better. Real men stick with men."

"Piss off."

Zhou Weihua recoiled with a grimace, then switched to a casual tone:

"Seriously, consider the monitor. Her temper sucks, but she's decent. She cares about you. Maybe she likes you..."

"Zhou Weihua. Listen close."

Cheng Yu paused, then chanted:

"I, Cheng Yu, would rather stay single till death, die outside, jump from this roof, than have a penny's worth of relation with Jiangyx Jiang."

Zhou Weihua blinked, then roared with laughter. Rough but perceptive, he knew Cheng Yu was joking to end it. He dropped the topic.

Still, he shook his head slyly, regretful:

"Miss college romance, and you might never get another shot."

"We'll see. The motherland isn't unified yet; how can sons and daughters indulge in love?"

Cheng Yu dodged again. In his heart: without escaping this cleaver dilemma, dating anyone was pointless.

Women were just cleaver-bringers.

He bit another meat skewer. He hated admitting it, but this place's food was great. Worth it.

He scanned the room. One roommate loudly chatted up girls. Another danced drunkenly.

Total chaos.

Yet Cheng Yu felt deeply at ease.

Without cleaver options, a normal college life might look like this.

Suddenly, he realized: eating and drinking like this sometimes wasn't so bad.

He raised his cup to drink. A figure leaned in, her head poking between him and Zhou Weihua.

Her delicate face beamed.

"Two handsome guys," she said. "Interested in a bar later?"